Oscar Benitez Convicted of Cocaine Trafficking, Money Laundering

A 44-year-old Conroe man is staring down a life behind bars after a federal jury in Houston found him guilty of moving massive loads of cocaine and laundering drug profits through a Texas used car dealership. Oscar Benitez was convicted on all counts, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to launder money — charges tied to a sprawling drug network stretching from Mexico to North Carolina.

The case erupted in 2011 when DEA agents in Philadelphia seized nearly four kilograms of cocaine from a vehicle driven from the Houston area. Investigators quickly traced the vehicle to Bensol Auto Sales in Arcola, Texas — a dealership owned by Benitez. That link launched a federal probe that peeled back layers of a well-oiled drug operation, revealing Benitez as a central figure in distributing multi-kilogram cocaine shipments across the South and East Coast.

At trial, prosecutors laid out how Benitez bragged to a confidential source about moving 25 to 100 kilograms of cocaine at a time, supplied by a trafficker based in Mexico. The jury heard that on June 16, 2011, a North Carolina trooper stopped a Ford F-150 in Monroe — the truck held 81 kilograms of cocaine. Inside were Reuben Orozco-Garcia and Juan Gonzalez-Bejar, both since convicted. Crucially, Orozco-Garcia had deposited $9,000 into Benitez’s Bensol Auto Sales bank account the same day as the bust.

That account wasn’t for car sales — it was a laundering hub. Federal agents proved Benitez used Bensol Auto Sales to clean drug money and supply vehicles to transport narcotics. Testimony showed the dealership’s finances were a front, with Benitez funneling trafficking proceeds through the business while enabling long-haul drug deliveries across state lines.

The operation didn’t stop in 2011. Evidence revealed that in the fall of 2013, someone delivered approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine to Benitez’s own ranch in Conroe — a delivery orchestrated by his Mexican-based supplier in the early morning hours. The handoff underscored the brazen reach of the network and Benitez’s continued involvement years after the initial investigation began.

U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore, who presided over the trial, set sentencing for Feb. 21, 2017. Benitez, 44, faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison, plus a potential $10 million fine. He remains free on bond until sentencing. The DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, and North Carolina Department of Public Safety led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force probe. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Richard Magness prosecuted the case.